Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in southern Arizona’s Sulphur Springs Valley is a must-visit for nature appreciators and bird nerds.
Near the community of McNeal, Arizona, and off a wide dirt road that’ll knock your teeth out, this 1,500-acre area was created in 1997 to preserve natural habitat and provide a refuge for migrating birds.
What you’ll experience at the end of the primitive road is worth the beating you take to get there. Whitewater Draw is the winter home of 30,000–40,000 sandhill cranes from October through March.
If you’ve never seen a sandhill crane, you’ll be stunned by their size, surprised by how graceful they are in flight, and delighted by their silliness.